T H E P R O P H E T I C

V O I C E

W H A T C A N T H E B I B L E

T E A C H U S A B O U T

R A C E R E L A T I O N S ?

The names and towns are now etched in our national consciousness.

Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Florida. Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. Eric

Garner in New York. Tamir Rice in Cleveland. Freddy Gray in Baltimore. Tensions

flare up across the country, in cities and small towns alike, with protesters

marching to demand an end to the violence, and occasionally sparking new

violence. Each new tragedy reminds us that we have not outgrown the

racial conflicts of the past.

There is a problem here. We can’t deny it any longer. Something is broken.

And now we add Charleston, South Carolina, to the sad litany. A multiple

shooting in a church, in a Bible study.

The mass media provide a steady patter of canned comments from the

right and left, voices arguing past each other on issues of race, violence,

and justice. But is there another voice that should be guiding our thoughts

today, one with greater insight and depth of wisdom? Perhaps the nine

fallen saints of the Mother Emanuel Church in Charleston can inspire us to

turn to the Bible for answers.

I F T H E R E I S T O B E

R E C O N C I L I A T I O N ,

F I R S T T H E R E

M U S T B E T R U T H .

– T I M O T H Y B . T Y S O N

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We’re told that the inspired Scripture is “useful for teaching the truth, rebuking error,

correcting faults, and giving instruction for right living” (2 Tim 3:16). At the same

time, it is “alive and active, sharper than any double-edged sword. It cuts all the way

through, to where soul and spirit meet, to where joints and marrow come together.

It judges the desires and thoughts of the heart” (Heb 4:12). The Bible challenges

us when we are wrong. It cuts through our deepest, underlying assumptions and

unconscious biases, calling us to move beyond our long-held understandings. Unlike

any other voice out there, the Bible speaks powerfully to our past and present, while

avoiding conformity to any modern ideological bent. It must inform our response to

contemporary issues.

H E A R I N G T H E P R O P H E T I C V O I C E O F S C R I P T U R E

Yet the voice of Scripture is increasingly drowned out by those concerned only with

shouting down their ideological foes. Pundits and politicians, community organizers

and civil servants, academics and clerics . . . so many voices, personalities, and cultural

backgrounds. Can we hear and heed God’s Word through this din? What could happen if

we truly listened to the prophetic voice of Scripture?

Could the Church bring healing to our communities? Could we, as the “salt of the

earth” and the “light of the world” (Matt 5:13-16 NIV), present our neighbors with

a model of courageous love and soul-baring truth? Might this be an opportunity for

the Church’s relevance to go on display as it speaks the

truth of Scripture to volatile situations, provides solutions

to broken circumstances, and fosters healing in hurting

communities?

As we seek to move through our current crisis, the

prophet Micah gives us a roadmap. What does God ask of

us? “To do what is just, to show constant love, and to live

in humble fellowship with our God” (Mic 6:8).

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D O W H A T I S J U S T

Do you practice justice in your daily decisions? Chances are, you do—or at least you

try to. “All of us are moral beings,” notes Kyle Fedler, assistant professor of religion

at Ashland University. “Day in and day out we engage in behaviors and patterns of

thought, feeling, and action that have a profoundly moral dimension” (2006, p. 3). As

a Christian, perhaps as a Christian leader, you’re aware of this moral dimension, and

you seek to live your personal life with fairness to those around you. You don’t cut in

line at the bank, you tip your waiter, you don’t cheat on your taxes, and—more to the

point—you treat people of all races equally.

But in the passage cited above (Isa 1:16-17), the Lord challenges us to take justice

a step further. “See that justice is done,” he says through the prophet, using a rich

Hebrew word with the basic meaning of seek. Search for it, study it, beat a path to

it—but make justice a priority. Our personal morals may shape how we respond

to various personal situations, but the prophetic voice of Scripture challenges us to

ensure that justice is being done both in our personal relationships and by the larger

social systems in which we participate.

Y E S , S T O P D O I N G

E V I L A N D L E A R N

T O D O R I G H T . S E E T H A T

J U S T I C E I S D O N E . – I S A I A H 1 : 1 6 - 1 7

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Author and speaker David M. Bailey suggests that each of us has some level of implicit

racial bias that has been shaped by our communities, our cultural experiences, and

our racial backgrounds (Bailey, 2015). This bias frames how we see the world and

how we perceive the circumstances around us. Thus, though one person may perceive

systemic injustice in the political powers, economic systems, educational arenas, and

civil service organizations (e.g., police) of our society, another may interpret the same

situation quite differently. What will it mean to “see that justice is done” when we have

very different ideas of what justice looks like?

The first chapter of Isaiah offers a clue in its repeated

emphasis on cleansing. “Wash yourselves clean” (v. 16);

“I will wash you clean as snow” (v. 18). Perhaps our lenses

have been muddied by the media and our surrounding

culture, but the Lord can clean us up and clear our

vision. Rather than clinging to the assumptions we have

gathered from the many voices around us, can we allow

God to show us how things really are? He can remind

us what justice means. In Isaiah 1, for instance, it means

defending the vulnerable. It means guarding the rights of

the orphans, the widows, and the “oppressed.” How can

we do this in our communities?

Then in Paul’s letter to the Romans we are instructed

to “Do everything possible on your part to live in peace

with everybody” (Rom 12:18). Clearly, retaliation is not

the Christian way. Violent response to injustice does not

honor the Lord. Neither does out-shouting our opponents

or forcing our definitions of justice on them. We serve the

Prince of Peace.

Many of us stop there, satisfied with maintaining peaceful relations between people of

all races. But the text offers a further challenge: “Do not let evil defeat you; instead,

conquer evil with good” (Rom 12:21). What sort of peaceful-yet-powerful actions

could we take to overcome the evil of injustice in our society with God’s goodness?

Could we “conquer evil with good” by stepping into the situations and circumstances

of others who are different from us? Could we genuinely listen to them, to better

understand the experiences that have shaped their ideas of justice? 5

> > W H AT D O E S T H I S L O O K L I K E ?

Consider collaborating with other leaders in your area to uncover the various

justice needs of your community. How are the existing systems just or

unjust? How are you and others seeking justice or contributing to injustice

within your communities?

This could start simply by having conversations with others in your

community—possibly voices you would not normally hear, from those of

different ethnic or cultural backgrounds.

You might also consider connecting with local officials—police, judges,

district attorneys—to gather their perspectives. Bring any issues you uncover

back to your church or community.

Another suggestion would be to host a conversation within your community

around issues like racial profiling—bringing together police, government, or

other civil service officials to offer insight.

The idea here is to do more than simply hear or try to change another’s

opinion, but rather to ask honest questions. In this way, you could help

your community comprehend the different perspectives within it by

understanding the experiences that have shaped those opinions.

Bottom Line: God made the church to be a reconciling community. As

agents of reconciliation (2 Cor 5:18-19), we have a duty to pursue accord

with those around us. However, as David M. Bailey highlights, the reality

is “that the church is better known as a segregated community than a

reconciling community.” A humble conversation—in which we seek to

understand rather than be understood—may serve as the first step toward

racial reconciliation within our communities.

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S H O W C O N S T A N T L O V E

Jesus challenged his followers to rethink how they looked at the laws that stood as

the centerpiece of the Jewish tradition. Ultimately, he summed them up into what he

described as the most important commandments: (1) “Love the Lord your God with

all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength” and

(2) “Love your neighbor as you love yourself ” (Mk 12:29-31). Jesus modeled this love

for his disciples, teaching them to open their hearts to each other and to those around

them. Christ’s life was their example of what love looked like, and thus their love

would be the evidence of their discipleship. The same remains true for his followers

today. Our love for our neighbors not only points them to God, but also confirms us

as disciples of Jesus.

It’s hard to overstate the importance of love in the Bible. Love is central to the

overarching story of God sending his Son (Jn 3:16; Rom 5:8; Eph 2:4-5) and essential

to our response (Rom 13:10; 1 Cor 13:1-3). We love God and we love others.

The two loves are firmly linked. “If we say we love God, but hate others, we are liars,”

(1 Jn 4:20). Even more strikingly, John writes, “If we are rich and see others in need,

yet close our hearts against them, how can we claim that we love God? My children,

our love should not be just words and talk; it must be true love, which shows itself in

action” (1 Jn 3:17-18).

In Micah’s challenge to “show constant love,” he actually uses two different Hebrew

words for love. Literally, he calls us to “love love.” The first of those words (ahab) is

I F Y O U H A V E L O V E F O R

O N E A N O T H E R , T H E N

E V E R Y O N E W I L L K N O W T H A T

Y O U A R E M Y D I S C I P L E S .

– J O H N 1 3 : 3 5

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generally used for human connections,

faithful friendships, long-term loyalty

to those we care about. The second

word (hesed) is generally used for God’s

mercy and loving-kindness. By mashing

together these two words, is the prophet

challenging us to love other humans

with God’s kind of love?

Isn’t this essentially what Jesus asked of

his disciples: “As I have loved you, so you

must love one another” (Jn 13:34)?

> > W H AT D O E S T H I S L O O K L I K E ?

As we look to the issue of race relations within our communities, in all the chaos

and frustration we can easily lose sight of the fact that we are called to love each

other. Our words and actions should display Christ’s love in us and point others

back to his love for them. The apostle Paul speaks to this when he notes, “Be wise

in the way you act toward those who are not believers, making good use of every

opportunity you have. Your speech should always be pleasant and interesting, and

you should know how to give the right an-swer to everyone” (Col 4:5-6; see also

Eph 5:15-17).

Along these lines, you may want to consider having dinner with someone whose

opinion you don’t agree with, or maybe host a meal that brings together divided

parties within your community.

Consider tasking your staff or encouraging co-workers to follow your lead and

break bread with others with whom they have differences. Focus on finding areas

of agreement and setting aside differences during this time of communion.

Bottom Line: By doing so, we reset the scales that have potentially tilted

toward bitterness, and we allow love to outweigh the dissimilarities that

often separate us.

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L I V E I N H U M B L E F E L L O W S H I P W I T H G O D

When Jesus encountered the religious leaders of his day, he usually chided them for

their pride. Their lack of humility kept them from being made “right with God” (Lk

18:14). Because they wouldn’t admit their spiritual blindness, they were “still guilty”

(Jn 9:41). Modern religious leaders should learn from those encounters. When

others look to us for answers, it’s easy for us to start thinking we have all the answers.

Humility can be hard to maintain.

Micah calls for a humble “walk” with God—an ongoing relationship in which we are

constantly humbling ourselves.

Throughout Scripture, humble fellowship with God leads to humble fellowship with

others. For instance, after reminding them of their “fellowship with the Spirit,” Paul

urged the Philippians to “be humble toward one another, always considering others

better than yourselves.” He went on to describe the amazing humility of Jesus

(Phil 2:1-11).

W H A T E V E R Y O U H A V E

D O N E F O R T H E L E A S T

O F T H E S E Y O U H A V E D O N E

F O R M E . – M A T T H E W 2 5 : 4 0

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Perhaps we see this most clearly in the parable of the sheep and goats in Matthew 25,

in which the Christ-figure blesses those who showed kindness to the needy. “I was

hungry and you fed me, thirsty and you gave me a drink; I was a stranger and you

received me in your homes, naked and you clothed me; I was sick and you took care

of me, in prison and you visited me” (v. 35-36). There is a sense of urgency here—

as individuals cared for those around them, they in fact cared for Christ (Walton,

Matthews, & Chavalas, 2000). When we serve others, we serve the Lord.

Just as we saw with love, our “humble fellowship” can’t be confined to God. It

must spill over into our human relationships. And according to this parable, it

should specifically involve “the least of these”—those who are hungry, thirsty, alien,

homeless, sick, and imprisoned (Matt 25:40). Our humble fellowship with God

requires that we serve those around us.

But we must remember that it’s humble and that it’s fellowship. We can’t just launch

loving deeds in the general direction of the needy and then boast about our generosity.

Scripture calls us to walk humbly in relationship with others, as we do with God.

> > W H AT D O E S T H I S L O O K L I K E ?

Many of our churches and organizations are actively serving the needy in various

ways. But with race relations, we must be even more intentional to see our broth-

ers and sisters as just that—members of the family.

Could you collaborate with another church in your community—one with a dif-

ferent racial makeup—to do a service project together? In the planning, take time

to better understand the justice needs of the whole community from a variety of

perspectives.

You might also think about hosting a special community prayer service in partner-

ship with other local churches. Prayer is a powerful tool of reconciliation that can

bring together individuals and communities where tensions might exist.

Bottom Line: As we work together to serve each other sacrificially, we ultimately

live out the humble fellowship that God created us for.

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H O W A M I U S I N G T H E P O W E R

T H A T I H A V E ? A M I C O N T R I B U T I N G

P O S I T I V E L Y O R N E G A T I V E L Y T O T H E I S S U E

O F R A C I A L I N J U S T I C E A S I T E X I S T S I N

M Y C O M M U N I T Y ?

W H A T ’ S T H E P O I N T ?

Do you believe in racial justice? Sure you do. As a leader appointed by God to your

ministry or position, your heart is already tuned toward reaching the last, the least,

and the lost. Finger-pointing and guilt-mongering won’t help us. Yet our communities

are in crisis—not only Ferguson and Baltimore but your community, in corners you

might not even know. It’s tempting to see racial injustice as “someone else’s problem,”

but this is a dangerous attitude. We need the moral courage to own up to our own

complicity in a broken system.

Nor is “color-blindness” a helpful approach. We need to see and celebrate the image of

God displayed in people of all races—not blind to the differences but understanding as

much as we can about how people have been shaped by their diverse cultures. To truly

love as Christ loved, to live as Christ lived, we must step out of our comfort zones,

meet people where they are, embrace their cultural stories, and uncover the varied

experiences that make them unique.

As Micah shows us, our path forward is marked by justice, love, and humility.

This will involve listening, confessing, courageous boundary-crossing, and speaking

truth to power.

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Remember how the prophet Nathan confronted David regarding his adultery and

murder (2 Sam 12:7-15). Sometimes we’re David and sometimes we’re Nathan.

Sometimes, like David, we need to hear the prophetic voice and be convicted in areas

where we may not realize we need correcting. And sometimes, like Nathan, we need

to stand before the guardians of our society and say, “You are the problem.” Either

way, we must continually ask ourselves, “How am I using the power that I have? Am

I contributing positively or negatively to the issue of racial injustice as it exists in my

community?”

Finally, we must own our responsibility to follow in the steps of Christ, speaking

biblical truth to the racial injustices we find in the political, socio-economic, and

educational systems around us. In doing so, leaders and churches take up the ministry

of reconciliation given to them by Christ (2 Cor 5:18). Only then do the words of the

prophet Micah take on their full importance in the cause of racial justice: “the Lord

has told us what is good. What he requires of us is this: to do what is just, to show

constant love, and to live in humble fellowship with our God” (Mic 6:8).

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R e f e r e n c e s

Bailey, D. (2015, April 23). Implicit Racial Bias. Retrieved May 19, 2015,

from Q Ideas: http://qideas.org/videos/implicit-racial-bias

Engstrom, T. W. (1976). The Making of a Christian Leader: How to

Develop Management and Human Relations Skills. Grand Rapids, Michigan,

United States of America: Zondervan Publishing House.

Fedler, K. D. (2006). Exploring Christian Ethics: Biblical Foundations

for Morality. Louisville, KY, United States of America: Westminster

John Knox Press.

Lyons, G. (2010). The Next Christians: Seven Ways You Can Live the

Gospel and Restore the World. Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States

of America: Multnomah Books.

Walton, J. H., Matthews, V. H., & Chavalas, M. W. (2000). The IVP Bible

Background Commentary: Old Testament. Downers Grove, Illinois, United

States of America: InterVarsity Press.

Written by:

Arthur L. Satterwhite, III. Sr. Manager of Youth & Millennial Engagement,

American Bible Society

Edited by:

Randy Petersen. Director of Scripture Engagement Content,

American Bible Society

Designed by:

Caleb Komorowski. Design Manager,

American Bible Society

All Scripture quotations from the Good News Translation

AmericanBible.org

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